What Does Acts 2:4 Mean in the King James?
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
“Holy Ghost” and “Spirit” translate the same Greek word, pneuma: the breath that fills them is the breath that gives them speech.
THE MEANING
The breath of God fills the gathered people and becomes speech through them. What they receive within moves outward as utterance, including words beyond the languages they already speak.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that divine presence must remain inward and wordless dissolves here: the breath is present in the speech it gives.
THE ROOT
πνεῦμα
pneuma
GROWS FROM
πνέω
pnéō
To blow or breathe; pneuma means breath, wind, or spirit.
“Holy Ghost / Spirit” in this verse is pneuma. The KJV renders the first πνεῦμα as “Holy Ghost” and the second as “Spirit,” but the Greek repeats one word. Its range lets the verse hold breath, wind, and spirit together: the same pneuma fills the people and gives their utterance.
ALSO GROWS
pneō: To blow or breathe.
πνέω
This verb reveals the breath and wind within pneuma, the word repeated in the verse.
pnoē: Breath or a blowing.
πνοή
In Acts 2:2, this related word describes the sound like a rushing mighty wind, echoing the breath that fills and gives speech here.
THE PATTERN
The divine breath fills people and becomes expression through them.
And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.THE THREAD
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:The same Greek word, πνεῦμα (pneuma, breath, wind, spirit), appears in both verses. Acts 2:17 opens the reach of that breath: it is poured out upon all flesh, and speech, vision, and dreaming emerge.
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